When it comes to cover versions, there seems to be an unspoken rule: be careful if the artist is dead. Sure, some covers surpass their originals, such as Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinéad O’Connor (originally by Prince) and I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston (Dolly Parton). But is that true of, say, Nirvana?
This makes Noel Gallagher’s reinterpretation of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart – performed so far on BBC Radio 2 and on his US tour, which started last week – particularly alarming.
The main problem is that it is not as good as the original. Gallagher has previous form on this, with his cover of There Is a Light That Never Goes Out by the Smiths. And he knows the risks. Speaking of the Joy Division cover on Radio 2, he said: “I was like: ‘Can we get away with that?’ Because it’s such an iconic song – and being from Manchester as well … this is going to be tricky.”
Unsurprisingly, this latest offering has divided audiences. His brother, Liam, came down clearly on one side, writing on Twitter: “I must once again apologise on behalf of my family for Rkids piss poor and damn rite blasphemous version of joy division’s love will tear us apart tut fucking tut SORRY.”
But is it really that bad? No. The problem is that it doesn’t sound like Noel Gallagher. It also doesn’t sound much like Love Will Tear Us Apart. It lacks the bass line, which is the best bit. Or does it? If you listen closely, you’ll hear the backing musicians playing it subtly, while Gallagher’s take on Ian Curtis’s vocals pushes him out of his comfort zone, which is striking. Plus, he dedicated the song to my cousin when he played it in Ridgefield, Washington. So, after hating it at first, I now love it.
Who’s next, I wonder? Might Lemmy from Motörhead soon be turning in his grave thanks to a Gallagher cover of Ace of Spades?
• Rich Pelley is a freelance writer. Adrian Chiles is away
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